Hi there! How are you?
I missed you guys!
Sorry for being a little MIA, but I was a little busy this weekend…
BECAUSE I GRADUATED!!!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially DONE with my dietetic internship.
Who knew a year could fly by so fast?
After all the excitement this weekend, we had a slow, relaxing day at home.
When my mom asked me to make a dinner side, my relaxed aura was definitely not thrown for a loop – whipping up a dinner side dish was just as relaxing as sitting and watching TV because we had a stocked pantry and fridge.
After gazing in my various food storage areas, I found snap peas, dried pasta, jarred pesto, and some grape tomatoes.
Thus, Pantry Spring Pesto Pasta was born.
It all starts with some snap peas. Snap peas are so quintessentially spring – perfectly green and crisp, just like a springtime afternoon. Plus they are an excellent source of vitamin C!
For easier cooking/eating, I sliced them on the bias into smaller pieces (2-3 pieces per pea) and then set them aside as I started to cook the pasta.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Toss in the cut snap peas with one minute left in the cooking time (please be careful!). When the pasta is al dente and the snap peas are just barely cooked and a vibrant shade of green, drain them very well.
And transfer them to a big bowl and add some pesto. (please excuse the steamy photo)
I used jarred pesto here, but fresh pesto would be just as lovely.
Whatever you use, it will be delicious.
Toss the pasta well to combine.
I garnished mine with some grape tomatoes. They not only added a nice freshness to the dish but some much needed color!
All that’s left it to serve it up alongside your favorite picnic favorites… or as a main vegetarian dish by itself! Options… they make the world go round!
Enjoy, kiddos!
Your newly graduated friend,
C
- 1½ pounds sugar snap peas, washed
- 1 pound of dried short-style pasta (like penne)
- ⅓ cup basil pesto, homemade or jarred
- 10 grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
- Fill a big pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. When it reaches a boil, heavily salt the water and pour in the past – cook according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, slice the sugar snap peas on the bias (2-3 pieces per pea).
- When there is one minute left in the pasta cooking time, add in the sugar snap peas. Cook for one additional minute until the pasta is al dente and the snap peas are just barely cooked and vibrant green. Drain pasta and peas well.
- Transfer the drained pasta and peas to a bowl and add in the pesto. Toss thoroughly to coat the pasta and peas. Garnish with the grape tomatoes.
- Serve alongside your picnic favorites.
- Enjoy!
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